by Jane Brunton

Created on: July 11, 2008   Last Updated: July 16, 2008

Syphilis, the Great Pretender, is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. It is a great mimicker which presents in the following ways:

Phase One: Three to four weeks after the initial infection lesions (chancres) usually appear on the male or female genitals or other parts of the body. These heal in about a week.

Phase Two: Four to ten weeks later the person experiences symptoms such as: fever, joint pain, muscle aches, sore throat, whole body rash (even palms and soles), headache, decreased appetite, patchy hair loss or swollen lymph nodes.

Phase Three: The latent phase of the disease may or may not re exhibit symptoms first noticed in phase two. The person may not be infectious with a couple of exceptions: infants may contract it from infected mothers during childbirth or it may be contracted through blood transfusions.

Up to a decade later about a third of those having latent syphilis proceed into a tertiary stage. Penicillin has virtually eliminated this stage that puts the heart, brain, skin and bones at risk.

Congenital syphilis, contracted in the womb, results in multiple abnormalities of the teeth, bone and organs.

Contact your physician should you experience any of the symptoms listed above. The accuracy of your responses to his questions will aid in obtaining a positive outcome. Because the human immunosuppressive virus (HIV) often coexists with syphilis your doctor should test you for both diseases.

Since false negative blood test results are possible in the earlier stages, the physician may take swabs, request blood tests, or even analyze spinal fluid to reach his diagnosis.
During the earlier phases of the disease, even in patients with coexisting positive HIV, penicillin is the drug of choice. The amount and frequency of the injections is related to the severity or stage of the disease. In the case of HIV co infection additional measures will be taken.

Oral antibiotics are available for those allergic to penicillin. In the case of pregnant women, where penicillin is unavoidable it may be given along with desensitizing drugs.

An infected person must not engage in sexual activity until the doctor gives the okay. This could take three or more months. All sexual partners should be notified and treated.

Syphilis can be avoided by correctly and consistently using latex condoms.

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